The Manitoba Métis Federation, also known as the MMF, says thousands of its citizens are “coming home” to be part of the national government of the Red River Métis.
Earlier this summer, the MMF announced a series of meetings in the Northwest Territories, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, northern Ontario and North Dakota called the Red River Métis Beyond Borders community consultations.
Part of those meetings included handing out application forms for those interested in applying for MMF citizenship.
MMF Housing Minister, Will Goodon,, is part of the task force and has been co-chairing the meetings.
He said a couple of dozen application forms were handed out to people interested at the meeting in Kenora, Ont., just across the Manitoba border, on Monday evening.
“If people want to join the Red River Métis government, they have a right to do that,” said Goodon. “When you look at some of the issues happening within some of the Métis governance structures, and it looks like there are a lot of challenges, and there is but out of those challenges comes opportunities.
“This is an opportunity the Red River Métis government is taking to talk to its citizens, the people who want to come home, who are tired of not being served because the don’t vote the right way, etcetera.”
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The move has not been sitting well with some. In an interview with CBC, Métis Nation of Alberta President Audrey Poitras said, “it is undemocratic and unacceptable for anyone to claim power outside of the jurisdiction they were elected to represent, and especially when an elected government already exists.”
APTN reached out to the Métis Nation of Alberta for comment but did not receive a response.
When asked if the MMF was trying to set up a new organization similar to the Métis National Council, Goodon said, “the Métis National Council is a failure and we will not create that failure. We are listening to people on what that new structure will look like and not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
APTN News reached out to the Métis National Council for comment but did not receive a response.
“This is the first step in a long journey, its going to take a while,” said Goodon. “It took a while for the Métis National Council to implode and become a pan-Indigenous organization, so, now it’s going to take a while to rebuild.”
The Beyond Borders task force is holding meetings in Saskatoon, Yorkton and Prince Albert over the next two weeks.
